Gas Works Havoc

FlHDLAY, O.. Jau. 19. - ïwo lives sacrificed, h dozen persons maimed, and a building sliattered ar? the result of a fearful natural as explosión yesterday in one of the lèatiing hotels of this city. It is the first fiivat disaster Findlay has ever experienctd from the usü of natural gas. The explosión oecurred shortly before 2 o'clock in the alteruoon while the guests of the Hutel Marvin were waiting tobe sumtnoued to dinner, and had it happened a few minutes later tlie loss of life would have been appalling. Yesterday niorning it was disco vered that gas was eseaping from a leartiug pipe soniewhere into the dining room, and Mr. Marvin, the owner of the building, with three plumbers, speut the entire forenoon trying to lócate the leak. The Parlvr Match l,ay in Wait. About 1 o'clock they entered a chamber underueath the dining room and found such an accumulation of gas that they could not breathe, and it was suggested that a hole be sawed tlirough the floor into the diniug room in order to obtain fresh air. Th is was done, and just as the hole was made one of the dining room girls who was sweeping the floor stepped upon a match and in an instant an explosión oecurred whicli not only wrecked the building, but killed two girls and maimed and injured nearly a dozen other employés. The f orce of the explosión was so great that it blew out the flame of the ignited gas and no fire followed the awful ruin which the shock had caused. Ruin and Death Kesults. The whole city was rocked as in an earthquake by the concussion, and all the windows on the square were demolished, while the wreek of the hotel building was all but complete, the only rooms in the house eseaping destruction being the parlors and office. Nearly 100 people were waitiug in their rooms to be called to dinner when the explosión oecurred, and, as a matter of fact, one of the clerks, Frank Poundstone, was on nis way to make this announcement when the fatal accident happefced. The clerk was caught in the falling debris and was painfully injured. When the work of rescuing the dead and djing was begun it was found that Katie Walters, a waitress, had been killed outright. Ella Johnson, a dining-room girl, was fouud alive under a mass of brick and mortar, but she died shortly after being carried to a place of safety. A Long L,ist of Casualties. Several others received fatal hurts, among them being Kate Rooney, another dining room girl, who, although shffis still alive, cannot recover. Anson E. Marvin, owner of the building, who with the plumbers, was under the áining room floor when the explosión oecurred, was probably fatally injured, as be inhaled the flame from the gas. Following is a list of the killed: Katie Walters, dining room girl, aged 19, instantly killed; Ella Johnson, dining room girl, died shortly after being taken from the ruins. The injured are: Katie Rooney, seriously burned about the face and will lose one eye; Carrie McGraff, cut and badly burned; Frank Poundstone, clerk, severely burned; Albert Frenen, porter at the hotel, cut on the neck and head, but will recover; Frank Andrews, one of the proprietors, right eye knocked out and seriously burned about the face and throat; Charles Graves, Philip Weil, Jack Cahill, plumbers, all shocked and stunned, but will soon be themselves; Anson E. Marvin, hotel proprietor, probably fatally injured. Money loss of 835,000. The financial loss will be about $25,000 on the building and $10,000 on the fumigare, all fully covered by insurance. It is a question, however, whether any insurance will be realized, as none of the destruction was wrought by fire. The excitement throughout the city over this catastrophe has név'er been equaled since Findlay became. a municipality,